Japanese painted fern, Athyrium niponicum var. pictum, is an elegant, deciduous fern with deeply cut, grey-green fronds. It’s perfect for growing in a woodland border or beneath the shade of a tree, and works well when grown alongside other woodland plants.
Grow Athyrium niponicum var. pictum in moist, fertile, neutral to acid soil. Add well-rotted leaf mould or garden compost when planting, and mulch annually with the same. In colder regions the crown may need protection from frost.
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Athyrium and wildlife
Athyrium has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.